This is something you don’t see too often: early deployment of the drag parachute.
Last Saturday something unusual took place at the Polish Air Force’s 21st Airbase in Świdwin, during the airbase’s open day. As a part of the display routine a Su-22 Fitter jet intentionally overshot the landing: the pilot deployed the drag chute prematurely, causing the aircraft to hit the runway very hard.
It was also an unusual sight to see the jet with the chute trailing behind it, still being up in the air. This also gave the photographers and spectators at the base to witness this unique sight.
Drag (or drogue) chutes are a quite common design trait of the Soviet-made jets. The system consists of a single or several parachutes placed in a special pod located in the rear section of the fuselage. The chute is ejected with the use of a smaller parachute, spring-driven or compressed air based system. After the aircraft comes to a halt, the chute is separated to prevent the aircraft from being dragged on the runway. Moreover, the chute often comes with a safety system, with a ring that breaks if the braking system is deployed at a speed which is too high. In the case above probably the speed was low enough to keep the said element intact and the chute stayed in its place.
Notably, the drag created by drogue chutes is lower than the one experienced in case of the conventional drop-parachutes in order to prevent damage to the aircraft.
The one in the video is one of the techniques used to land on a damaged runway: the chute is deployed about 7 feet above the runway and the aircraft only needs 350 meters to stop.
Polish Air Force Su-22 Fitters will be modernized.
According to the Polish Minister of National Defense Tomasz Siemioniak, who talk to media during his visit to Świdwin airbase, the iconic Cold War fighter bombers will be upgraded.
The Polish Air Force currently operates an aging fleet of 26 Su-22M4’s and 6 Su-22UM3K. The decision on the extent of the upgrade is to be made mid-March, this year. Earlier the Fitters were planned to be withdrawn by 2015 and replaced by UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles).
Basically two options are considered.
The first assumes that all the planes are to be modernized and fly for another 3 years. The second option is to modernize just one squadron (16 planes), but to extend the Fitter’s life up to 10 additional years.
The modernization is not to be expensive, and is to be carried out by the Military Aviation Works no. 2 in Bydgoszcz, the same plant that takes care of the Polish F-16 Block 52+ fighters.
There is no clear information available as to the scope of modernization. The first rumors of a possible Fitter upgrade were heard in the beginning of the 1990s. Budget constraints were the main reason the works were stopped. Still, the plane is quite obsolete, and because of the lack of radar and precision guiding systems is dubbed a blind boxer by its pilots.
When it comes to the reasons why the Su-22 fighter-bombers are to be modernized it is all caused by postponing the decision about buying a new multirole jet, and personnel skills, that cannot be thrown away when the Fitters are withdrawn from service.
The 21st Tactical Air Base is also to be modernized, in order to accomodate modern multirole fighters by 2022.
The above screenshot was taken from a video, shot on Oct. 7, that allegedly shows a Syrian Arab Air Force Su-22 Fitter hit by rebel fire in the province of Daraa.
According to some unconfirmed reports, the aircraft crashed later. Indeed, it appears to be leaking fuel from the left wing (and from the tail section).
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